M
by Forever-Diamonds
Summary: They used to be M.A.G.I.C. Now it's just M.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**A/N: Ok, so this is my first Grey's fic. I will be continuing my other story as well as this one so don't worry! Please R&R**

"Charge to 300. Clear!"

The monitor continued to flatline.

"Time of death, 13:46."

ooo

Meredith Grey sat in the crowded waiting room at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. She was playing with her hair and fidgeting as she always did when she was nervous, afraid or worried. Right now, she was experiencing all of those things. She couldn't help thinking 'What if they can't do it?' or 'What if there's a complication?' over and over again. She shook herself. She should try to be strong. She _had _to be strong. Otherwise she would fall apart if the worst came to the worst.

Trying to distract her mind from the dark thoughts that she was having, she scanned the waiting room, looking for no one in particular. She noticed how everyone had someone with them. There was a mother and child, a husband and wife, a brother and a sister...everyone had someone to share their worry or grief with. Everyone except her.

She wondered how she had managed to end up alone. When she had started her medical career, she did not think for even a second that she would wind up here, alone, in a hospital waiting room, with her sanity hanging on by a thread and completely dependent on the news she got from the OR in the next hour or so. Again, she shook herself. She wasn't alone. Her husband Derek was in surgery. That's why he couldn't be here. Her half-sister Lexie had a day off and was spending it with her fiancé Mark, Derek's best friend. She wasn't alone. But then why did she feel like she was?

Everyone in her life seemed to have deserted her at some point. Her father, Thatcher, had walked out on her and then started a new family of his own, never bothering to get in touch. Her mother, well, that was a long story. Her affair with the chief, her Alzheimer's, her complete lack of parental ability...the list went on. Even Derek had left her once for that scrub nurse. Meredith tried to pretend she had forgotten her name, but it was still burned into the back of her mind like a brand. _Rose_.

She had tried to work out why all of these things had happened to her. Why some people got their happily ever after and her life was a mess. Why she had had to go through more trouble and heartbreak than anyone she knew. But whenever she started to think about things like that, she immediately stopped herself. Thoughts like that would only mess up her life even more.

She checked her watch. The operation should be finished by now. Someone should be out soon, to tell her how it went. To tell her that everything had gone brilliantly, that there had been no complications, that a full recovery was expected... At least, that's what she hoped they would say.

But then she heard the doors open and one look at Teddy's tearstained face said it all. Her hopes had all been false.

She didn't say anything. She didn't scream, didn't cry, she just stood up, and walked right out of the door. She had no idea where she was walking, and she didn't know how she ended up at the bench on the hill overlooking the whole of Seattle, but she didn't really care where she was. Nothing mattered at this point.

As she sat down slowly, she thought about her friends. They had always been the 'Magic Five', inseparable even when they were fighting. They had always had each other's backs in a crisis. And there were certainly plenty of those to go around. Meredith, Alex, George, Izzie and Cristina. M.A.G.I.C. They were all best friends.

But then one by one, disaster struck.

George O'Malley, 34. Died of multiple internal injuries after jumping in front of a bus to save the life of someone he barely knew.

Izzie Stevens, 33. Died of cancer in various parts of her body.

Alex Karev, 35. Died of a drug overdose after the death of his sister.

Cristina Yang, 33. Died of a ruptured aorta. Kind of ironic, since she was a cardiothoracic surgeon.

And now, Meredith Grey was the only one left. Out of five, only one remained. Now she was all alone. The 'Magic Five' had been reduced to just one.

They used to be M.A.G.I.C.

Now, it was just M.

**A/N: So, how was it? Please review and let me know. Reviews=Faster Updates**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's chapter 2! I'm really glad you guys are enjoying this. Thanks to SeriouslyMcDreaming, merder4evr, pl782, MaeganM.0816, Red Iced Tea, AiLing, campkgurl and Mimi for reviewing!**

It was dark by the time Derek Shepherd found his wife sitting on the bench in the park. It was cold, and she was shivering, her coat lying unnoticed on her lap. He realised that she probably hadn't moved since she had come here, which was about four hours ago. He would have come sooner, but he had had to perform an emergency craniotomy that took longer than expected. Of course, he had known that she would be here. He knew her practically inside out. And he knew that without Cristina, her 'person', the next few months would be hard for Meredith. He knew he had to be strong for her, and try to hide his own grief; otherwise she would completely fall apart. And he didn't know if he could fix her again if that happened.

Sighing, he sat down on the bench next to her, pried her coat out of her grasp, and wrapped it around her slim shoulders. He didn't touch her; he knew that she didn't like being hugged when she was sad; he just sat there on the bench next to her and watched the world below them go by.

After a few minutes of silence she spoke. "I didn't cry."

He gave a sad smile. He knew she wouldn't cry yet; the tears would come later. "I know." He sighed again. "It's okay to cry though."

She sighed as well, and leaned into his chest. "I know."

He wrapped his arm around her and they just sat there for a while, not needing to talk, simply taking comfort in each other's presence. At some point she said, "Take me home."

And he did.

ooo

The next day, Meredith was paged into the Chief's office. Richard sat her down and gave her a sympathetic smile. "Dr. Grey, would you like to take a few days off to help cope with your...grief?"

She shook her head. "It's okay, Chief. I'm fine." She scoffed internally. She wondered how many times she'd said those words to people today. Everyone was 'sorry'. Random nurses she'd never even spoken to had come up to her and offered their condolences. Everyone had something to say, some stupid, overused comment about how much Cristina Yang had meant to them, or how they felt her pain. She had smiled at everyone, and said she was fine, when in reality she felt like she was slowly tearing apart. Oddly though, she felt no pain, just numbness. People tiptoed carefully around her like they were afraid she was going to explode at any given moment. It would have been laughable if it wasn't so sad.

The Chief frowned. "Meredith, are you sure?" he asked, using her first name, hoping it would make her reconsider his offer. "You and Dr. Yang were very close. And, well, I thought you might like some time off now that she's..."

"Dead?" supplied Meredith.

"You can say the word dead in front of me, Chief, it's not like I'm gonna break down into tears any second."

The Chief frowned. "But Meredith, I'm just concerned..."

"I know!" Meredith screamed, leaping out of her chair. "Everyone's so freaking concerned about me! It's annoying! Why does no one get that I'm fine? I just want everyone to stop being concerned and leave me the hell alone!" With that, she stormed out of the Chief's office, slamming the door behind her.

Sighing heavily, Richard sat down behind his desk. This was going to be a very long few months...

ooo

Meredith stormed into the resident's locker area. Thankfully it was empty. She was furious. Why did people have to be so damn 'nice' all the time? What did they expect her to do, cry? She was Meredith Grey, dark and twisty. She drank tequila like it was water, was a dirty mistress, and had severe daddy issues. She didn't cry. She bounced back and carried on like nothing had happened. She was always 'fine'.

She slowly changed out of her scrubs and began to pack her stuff. When she was done, she closed the door to her locker and was about to leave when a cleaner walked in, and began to take things out of Cristina's locker. She glared at him. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

He looked up at her. "This locker needs to be cleaned out."

"No, it doesn't."

The cleaner scowled at her. "Uh, yes it does."

Meredith growled. "You put that stuff back in that locker _right now_, before I get the Chief."

The cleaner folded his arms over his chest defiantly. "And why would I want to do that?"

Meredith's glare intensified. "Because that locker belonged to Cristina Yang, the best cardiothoracic resident in America, my best friend, and the bravest person I ever knew. She operated on my husband while a maniacal killer held a gun to her head. She told the Chief and Dr. Bailey to try again to save me when I nearly drowned. She went through so much crap in her life, yet she was still an amazing surgeon and an even better person. Because she was _my_ person and because I will remember her until the day I die. So you put that stuff back in that locker right now, or else you are insulting her memory. And if you _ever_ try to clear out her locker again, I will make your life a living hell. Do you understand? Now put it back and _get out_."

Hurriedly, the cleaner put the few things he had taken out back into the locker, and ran out without another word. Meredith sighed, and slowly walked out.

**A/N: So what did you think? I hope it was okay. Next chapter will be the funeral :( R&R please**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**A/N: So here is chapter 3!**

A cold wind blew through the graveyard, making the funeral party shiver. It was amazing how many people had turned up to say goodbye to Cristina. Most of the doctors and nurses from the hospital were there, and even a few grateful patients whom Cristina had saved. All of her closest friends were there as well. The Chief, Dr. Bailey, Mark and Lexie, who was crying into his shoulder, Callie, Arizona and Teddy, who were all clinging to each other and sobbing, Owen, who had silent tears streaming down his face, Derek, and Meredith. Everyone was, or had been, crying. Even Mark had tear trails on his cheeks. Everyone except Meredith, who stood in the front row, in a world of her own. The priest was saying something, but she wasn't really listening. She was remembering her four best friends.

_Flashback_

"_Meredith, hurry up!" Cristina snapped in and impatient tone._

"_Oh Cristina, don't be such a grouch. It's our day off, enjoy yourself! It's such a lovely day after all!" Izzie was smiling and happy, as usual. Meredith didn't know how she did it._

"_You're so perky." Cristina grimaced in distaste. "Meredith! Move your lazy ass!"_

"_Maybe she could go faster if you weren't shouting at her all the time!" George was getting annoyed with Cristina's impatience._

_Cristina gave him a death glare. "Shut up, Bambi."_

_George was agitated now. "How many times did I tell you NOT to call me that?"_

"_Dude, seriously, can it. I'm getting earache over here!" Alex cut over the argument._

_Cristina, George and Izzie glared at him. "Shut up, Evil Spawn." They all said in unison_

_Meredith glanced at them over the camera she was trying, and failing, to set up. "Guys, little help over here? I can't set this damn thing up...no wait...got it!" She stepped back to admire her work. As soon as she did, the camera stand collapsed into a heap on the ground. At once, her four best friends began to laugh simultaneously. Meredith huffed. "It's not funny!" They began to laugh even louder. _

_Luckily, Meredith spotted a man passing by. "Excuse me, will you take our photo?" The man smiled and nodded, and Meredith ran to her friends after showing him how to work the camera. "This guy's gonna take our photo!" She frowned when she saw that they were still laughing. Huffing, she elbowed her way in between George and Cristina, sending Alex sprawling into a puddle. As he got up, everyone started laughing at him as well. He pushed his way back into the group, causing them all to push back. The man taking the photo looked very impatient now. Still pushing and shoving each other, and still laughing their heads off, they prepared themselves for the photo. _

_After a few seconds it was over. "It's done. Here you go." The man handed the camera back to Meredith and speed walked away, causing him to trip over a bench and provoking another round of laughter from the five best friends. Still laughing, they linked arms and walked off in the direction of the hospital to get ready for another long shift..._

_End of Flashback._

Meredith smiled fondly at the memory. She still had that photo framed and hanging on the wall in her bedroom. It was an awful photo; George had his elbow in Meredith's stomach and Izzie was falling over Cristina, who was laughing and pointing at a soaking wet Alex, but the memory that went with it would always have a special place in her heart.

The priest finished his sermon, and Owen picked up a handful of earth and threw it onto Cristina's coffin. Then, the undertakers proceeded to bury it completely, until all that was left was a mound of earth and a gravestone inscribed:

Cristina Yang

1977-2010

Loving Best Friend and Wife

You will be remembered by all

Slowly, the crowd that had accumulated began to disperse, until only ten people were left standing by the grave. Owen sighed. "There's a reception in the pavilion."

Meredith also sighed. "Who wants to go to Joe's?"

Nine simultaneous yeses were heard, and the group slowly turned and walked away.

**A/N: So, how was it? I'm not sure if the flashback worked or not, but I hope you enjoyed** **it anyway! Please R&R!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**A/N: So, here is chapter 4! I want to thank everyone who has reviewed this, it makes writing it that much more special. XXX**

The day after the funeral, the hospital lacked its usual buzz of activity. No one said anything unless it was absolutely necessary. Everyone seemed to be grieving.

Thankfully, Meredith had only one surgery that day, and it was a simple appendectectomy. After it was over, she made her way to the resident's locker room. She went in, only to find it full of people. As soon as she entered, everyone looked up. Meredith groaned, and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. She couldn't take another day of sympathetic smiles and concerned looks from everyone. She just needed to be alone.

Sighing, she made her way to the attending's lounge. Hopefully no one would be in there, meaning that she could get away with spending a few hours in there alone. Nearing the door, she tentatively pushed it open and was relieved to find it empty. Sighing for what had to be the hundredth time that day, she sat down on one of the sofas, leaned back and closed her eyes. She took the time to think about how much her life had changed over the past few months. She had gone from grieving for George, to grieving for Izzie and George, to grieving for Alex and Izzie and George, and now, she was grieving for Cristina and Izzie and Alex and George. Although it didn't feel like grief. There was no sadness, no hurt and no pain. At least, no pain she showed. She was vaguely aware of a small ache in the pit of her stomach, but she had buried those feelings deep down. Truth be told, she was afraid that once she started hurting, she would never stop.

The sound of the door opening startled her from her thoughts. She looked up to find Dr. Bailey entering the room. The shorter woman gave Meredith a disapproving glance. "You shouldn't be in here. This is the _attending_ lounge."

Meredith huffed. "The resident lounge was full of _people_." She spat out the word like it was poison.

Dr. Bailey gave a knowing nod as she sat down on the sofa opposite Meredith. "Needed to be alone, huh? So did I." She sighed, and continued. "You know, when you first came here, I thought: Great, just what I need, a bunch of annoying interns to worry about. For a while, you were annoying, always getting in the way, not knowing the right answers, and so on. But after a while, I started to warm to you. I saw all of your potential and I thought: Hey, maybe they aren't so bad after all. I've watched you grow from little baby interns, to some of the best residents I have ever seen in this hospital. And I thought that I was going to watch you become even better attendings. I...I...I had it all planned out, you know. You would take neuro, Yang would take cardio, Karev would take plastics, Stevens would take peds, and O'Malley would take general. But then O'Malley threw himself in front of that goddamn bus, and Stevens got that goddamn cancer, and Karev took those goddamn drugs, and then Yang ruptured her goddamn aorta! They all died. Right before my very eyes. I watched four of my interns, _my_ interns, die before my eyes. How does that happen? Four of my interns have died and I only have one left! How does that happen...how does that...how does it..."

At this point Bailey burst into tears, sobbing loudly and still muttering under her breath. Meredith felt the tears welling up in her eyes as well, and soon her emotions got the better of her and she broke down into tears as well. The two women just sat there, together, crying their eyes out for everything and everyone that they had lost. And when they had no tears left, they just sat there, in silence, until the sun went down and it was dark outside. Neither of them said a word, because neither of them needed to. Each other's presence alone gave them a comforting message:

They were not alone.

**A/N: So, what did you think? Please R&R!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**A/N: Here is Chapter 5! I want to thank everyone who has reviewed/Story Alerted so far, it means a lot! Love you all :D xxx**

"Grey, you're on my service today." Teddy ran up behind Meredith and gave her a warm smile.

Meredith gave a small smile back. She didn't really know Teddy that well, as she was a cardio surgeon and Meredith wanted to take Neuro as her specialty. "Okay, Dr. Altman. Any interesting cases today?"

Suddenly, the doors of the E.R. burst open, and a couple of Paramedics wheeled in a gurney, on top of which there was a boy who looked no older than 16. His limbs were bent at awkward angles, and there was a gaping hole in his chest that was spurting blood. "Danny Cleaver, 15, multiple fractures to the left and right tibias, and a puncture in the left lung sustained after falling out of a tree."

Teddy immediately rushed to the gurney. She turned to Meredith. "Page Torres and Robbins 911 to O.R. 1. Now!" With that, she followed the gurney that was now being wheeled out of the room. Meredith glanced around for a second before pulling out her pager, pressing a few buttons, and following Teddy's fast disappearing form down the corridor.

ooo

Five minutes later, Callie and Arizona appeared in the O.R. The blonde paediatrics surgeon was the first to approach the operating table, where Teddy was already busy trying to repair the large tear in the boy's lung. "What have we got?"

Teddy didn't look up from her work. Meredith filled Arizona in. "Danny Cleaver, 15, multiple fractures to the left and right tibias, and a puncture in the left lung. We've given him blood to replace what he lost, and Dr. Altman is now repairing the lung, but his condition is still critical." Arizona nodded, and immediately began helping her best friend repair the lung.

Callie walked over to the boy's legs, and whistled through her teeth. The dark-haired Latina raised a quizzical eyebrow. "How did he manage to do _that_?"

Meredith turned to her. "He fell out of a tree."

Callie muttered a curse under her breath in Spanish, and looked at Meredith. "Grey, can you help me out here? Hold the left leg." She gestured towards the badly-broken limb. Meredith ran over and grabbed the leg. Callie put her hands on either side of it and readied herself. "On three, I want you to pull down as hard as you can. One, two, three!" Both women pulled and twisted, and a crunch was heard as the boned moved more or less back into the correct places. Callie frowned. "He's gonna be in a _lot _of pain when he wakes up. Next leg." With that, the two surgeons moved on to the right leg, whilst Teddy and Arizona worked fast to fix the lung.

ooo

Two hours later, the four women had finished their surgery and were sitting in the hospital cafeteria. They had already informed Danny's parents about what had happened, and now they were stuck with nothing to do. All of the other residents were in surgery, so Meredith had no one else to be with. An awkward silence hung in the air. Eventually, Arizona spoke. "There's a karaoke night on in Joe's. Who's up for it?"

Callie chewed on her lip. "Mark's doing a facial transplant surgery on a 40 year old woman with a tumour on her left cheek." She stood up hesitantly.

Teddy nodded and got to her feet. "I'm gonna...go watch that." She pointed her thumb towards the door.

Meredith stood up as well. "Me too." She gave Arizona an apologetic smile. With that, the three surgeons walked off in the direction of the door, leaving Arizona sitting at the table.

The blond sighed. "Fine, let's all go watch Mark's stupid surgery." Huffing, she stood up and followed Teddy, Callie and Meredith out of the cafeteria.

**A/N: So, how was it? I'm not really sure about this chapter. Feel free to give me any ideas/requests for future chapters. R&R!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**A/N: Here is Chapter 6! I will try to make this a bit longer than the last one, and I hope you enjoy it! Please R&R!**

Meredith stumbled into the kitchen in the house she shared with Lexie, Alex, April and Jackson, looking for a cup of coffee, only to find Mark and Lexie leaning against one of the counters, making out. Meredith made a face and coughed loudly. The couple broke apart and Lexie looked up sheepishly. "Oh _god_ Mer, I'm so sorry!"

Meredith gave a small smile and shook her head. "It's okay, just next time you feel like _eating_ each other's faces, do it somewhere private,_ please_." She moved to the cupboard and got out her favourite mug before filling it with coffee, taking a sip, and grinning with satisfaction.

Lexie blushed and lowered her head slightly before remembering something. "Yeah but to be fair, I _did_ walk in on you and Derek having sex on the counter-top." Meredith looked shocked for a second, before her expression settled on embarrassed and she looked away.

Mark nearly spat out his coffee. "_What_? You and Derek did _what_?"

Just at that moment, Derek walked into the room, already dressed in his customary shirt and tie and carrying his briefcase. He raised a curious eyebrow. "What did I do?"

Mark took one look at the counter, then at Derek, then at Meredith, then back at the counter before bursting into laughter. Lexie was short to follow, collapsing on her fiancé in a fit of giggles. Derek shot his wife a quizzical look. Meredith simply shrugged, put her mug in the sink and walked out, grabbing her keys off the dining table as she did so. Derek took one look at the still laughing couple before shrugging as well and following his wife out of the kitchen.

A few minutes after they had gone, Mark stopped laughing, and straightened up. "I'm never gonna let him forget that."

ooo

Meredith was just handing in a chart when April Kepner ran up to her, panting slightly. She seemed agitated, Meredith thought. Then again, April was usually like this; agitated, nervous, annoying, and perky. _Like Izzie_, Meredith thought. _Izzie was perky_... She mentally shook herself, and returned her attention to April. The ex Mercy West resident started speaking quickly. "Oh my god, Mer, you will not _believe_ what just happened!"

Meredith pointed a warning finger at her. "First of all, _you_ don't call me Mer. And second of all, can't you take your problems to someone else." With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving a flabbergasted April staring after her.

The neurotic brunette refused to give up, however, and ran after Meredith once again. Reaching her, she grabbed Meredith's arm and spun her around. "But Mer...sorry...Meredith, Dr. Stark just asked me out."

Meredith looked aghast. "He did _what_?"

April looked sheepish. "He...asked me out."

Meredith looked even more shocked. "How...when...why...was he ?"

April shook her head, looking a little hurt. "No, I'm pretty sure he was sober. I tried to convince him not to call protective services for Kyle, and he agreed, and then later he just came up to me out of nowhere and asks me out to dinner."

Meredith raised an eyebrow. "And you told him no, right? You said you wouldn't go, didn't you?" Seeing April's embarrassed look, she raised both her eyebrows in shock. "Dr. _Stark_ asked you out, and you said _yes_?"

April gave a small nod. "I don't know how it happened. I'm still confused about it now. What should I do-""

She was cut off by the beeping of Meredith's pager. Meredith glanced down at it, and then looked up at April. "I have to go, Dr. Bailey needs me." With that she ran off towards the exit.

April threw her arms up in frustration. "Damn it!"

ooo

"Dr. Bailey, would you like to go on a date with me?" Eli sauntered up to the flustered-looking attending.

"Eli, I am _working_." She shooed the nurse away with her hands.

Eli smirked. "I know that. But would you like to go on a date with me?"

Dr. Bailey looked up, exasperated. "I am working, I am busy, I need..." She stopped short as Eli leaned in and stared her straight in the eye. She righted herself quickly and continued. "I need to get these charts done, I am a busy woman. I do not have time...to go on a date with you."

Eli rolled his eyes. "Come _on_, Dr. Bailey. When's the last time you had any fun?"

Bailey scoffed. "I have fun all the time. I-"

"You paged, Doctor Bailey?" Meredith ran up to the attending and the nurse.

Bailey appeared confused for a moment. "Oh, yes, Dr. Grey, I need you to take Mrs Bird in Room 251 up for a CT."

Meredith nodded, grabbed Mrs. Bird's chart and ran off to Room 251.

Seeing she was gone, Eli leaned in towards Dr. Bailey again. "So, will you go on a date with me?"

"Aaaah!"

**A/N: A bit of a longer chapter. I had to include Stark + April, because it made me laugh so much! Hope that was ok. Please R&R! These never work, but I wanted to try anyway. Who should the next chapter feature (except Meredith, of course). Pick one or two characters (could be anyone) and a situation, and leave it in a review. Please do it! It would make me SO happy! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**A/N: Here is Chapter 7! It is dedicated to 'Juni' (anonymous), who is my most faithful reviewer and whose request inspired this chapter. There is a small time jump, just to clear up any confusion. So, enjoy!**

"You may now kiss the bride."

The audience erupted into cheers and applause as Mark pulled Lexie towards him and dipped her gracefully towards the floor, before giving her a passionate kiss on the lips.

ooo

A slow, lilting tune drifted over the wedding party, accompanying the couples that were dancing. Mark and Lexie were in the centre of the dance floor, waltzing hand in hand and lost in each other's eyes, oblivious to the world around them.

From her seat near on the outskirts of the pavilion, Meredith gave a small smile. The newlyweds were so perfect for each other, so romantic, so completely _in love_. Meredith scoffed internally. All of this _happiness_ had confused her dark and twisty mind. She was Meredith Grey. She didn't _do_ mushy thoughts and feelings. She was supposed to be the detached one, the realist, the fatalist...

In her self-defence, though, you couldn't be at this wedding and not have at least a few mushy thoughts. Everything was so..._perfect_...here. The atmosphere, the music, the setting. And then there was Lexie. She had taken to this wedding like a duck to water. She seemed completely at ease dancing her first dance as Mrs. Sloan, drifting around making small talk with the guests and cutting her enormous wedding cake. Her dress was perfect; she glowed with a natural beauty under the soft lighting in the pavilion and looked almost like a Disney princess that every three year old girl dreams or once dreamt of being, but with a mature, classy, elegant twist to it.

Meredith had known. From the beginning, when she had first met Alexandra Grey, she had thought: _She is made for weddings. She will get married one day._ There was something so satisfying about seeing her prediction come true that made Meredith want to jump up and scream "I told you so!" at the top of her voice. However she did not want to cause herself or Lexie any embarrassment, so she stayed silent.

However with the mushy happiness came bitter thoughts as well. Lexie's megawatt smile, the flowers in her hair, the way it looked almost golden in the glow of the yellow lamps which lined the pavilion made Meredith think of another wedding. It seemed like so long ago now, before everything had happened and she had become so undeniably _alone_, that she had watched Izzie come down the aisle, and seen George offer her his arm when she stumbled, and...and then everything fell apart. As these thoughts came flooding through her mind, her smile faltered, and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

Meredith mentally checked herself. Now was not the time to reminisce about the 'olden days'. She was here for her _sister's_ wedding. Lexie deserved to be happy today, and to not have to worry about her older-half sister bursting into tears in the middle of the reception. That was unlikely to happen a, but Meredith checked herself all the same, and looked at the happy couple and smiled again. But this time her smile did not quite reach her eyes, which had a slightly lost, faraway look in them, and barely concealed the pain and hurt which she had tried so hard to mask.

ooo

A couple of hours into the reception, Mark found Derek leaning against the refreshment table, swirling his glass of champagne thoughtfully and occasionally taking a small sip. Mark walked up to his best friend. "Who'd have thought it? We're both married now. Does that make us...what...brothers?"

Derek took another sip of his champagne. "Brothers-in-law, I think."

Mark nodded. "So how are you holding up? With everything that's happened over the past few months, I mean."

Derek inhaled deeply. "Meredith's doing okay. At least she tries to pretend like she is. She puts on a brave face and doesn't show her hurt or pain, but it's there. She has these moments, sometimes, when her eyes glaze over slightly, and her mask slips just for a second, and I know that something, or someone, had triggered a memory of her friends. But then the mask goes back on again, and we pretend that everything is normal again. Do you know she hasn't cried yet? At least I haven't heard about it, and I'm sure-"

Mark cut him off. "Yes, but how are _you_ holding up?"

Derek gave a wry smile. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice that."

Mark returned the expression. "You're my best friend, Derek. I figured you would try and dodge the question. So, tell me."

Derek sighed. "Honestly, I don't know what to tell you. I have no idea _how _I'm supposed to act or feel. I'm grieving, obviously. But I have to hide it, for Meredith. I have to be strong for her, because otherwise she will fall apart. She pretends like everything is okay but it really isn't. And if she breaks...if...if she...I don't know if I can fix her again if that happens. Also the house is empty, now that we have no roommates."

Mark was confused. "You have roommates. Avery and Kepner, they live with you, don't they?"

Derek sighed again. "Yes but they're not roommates. 'Roommates' implies that you get along with the person who is living in your house. Kepner and Avery are just people that I am permitting to live in my house. I mean Avery, he's an okay guy, and he is a good surgeon, but he's so shallow at times that I find it hard to get along with him. And Kepner, well, she's neurotic, agitated and just plain annoying. She has surgical potential, but she just irritates me so much sometimes. No, they're not roommates. Karev, Stevens and O'Malley, they were my roommates. Even Yang, even though she didn't actually live in the house, I considered her a roommate. They were different. They were good people as well as good surgeons. I'm not saying Kepner and Avery aren't, I just..." He stared into the distance for a minute before continuing. "And now Lexie is married to you, and she's moved out, and our new house is nearly done, so soon it'll be just me and Meredith."

Mark frowned slightly. "You need to get a dog, or some kids. Or both."

Derek chuckled slightly. "Mark Sloan, full of helpful advice."

Mark grinned. "Well what else _can _I do, divorce Lexie and move her back in with you so you don't have to get a dog?"

The friends laughed for a while, until Derek's pager beeped from his trouser pocket, like a little alarm bringing them out of their companionable silence. The neuro surgeon glanced at it and groaned in annoyance. "I'm sorry Mark, I have to go. Emergency." With that, he downed the rest of his champagne and walked towards the exit of the pavilion.

Meredith caught up with him on the way out. "Did they page you too?"

Derek nodded. "It's Mrs. Dickerson; there must have been a complication of some kind. Did you bring your car?"

Meredith nodded. "Yeah, it's round the front." And with that, the couple walked out of the pavilion, leaving the party and the fun behind them. It was time for reality.

**A/N: So, how was it? I hope you enjoyed it. New challenge/request/thing: in a review, tell me who is your favourite character and why. Do it! Pretty please with some McDreamy on top! Please R&R**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry I've been AWOL for a while, I've been busy doing other stuff. This is the last chapter. I just couldn't see anywhere else to go with it, sorry. That said, I hope you like it. R&R**

_50 years later_

The small hospital room was silent apart from the quiet whirring of the respirator and the slow beeping of the heart rate monitor. The frail old lady in the hospital bed wheezed slightly as she woke from her pained sleep.

"D...Derek..."

Her husband, who had been sitting patiently by her side, gently grabbed her hand. "I'm here, Meredith."

Meredith's lips curled with a hint of a smile. "I know. Where are Zola and Will?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Derek realised that his wife was lucid. "They went to get a coffee and some food."

Meredith closed her eyes. "Good. Has Callie's granddaughter come by yet? I forget her name..."

"Dr. Lopez," Derek replied. He then hesitated, unsure of what to say. "She...hasn't come by yet."

A wry chuckle was given. "You don't have to lie to me Derek. The treatment didn't work, did it? I'm going to die, aren't I?"

Derek nodded slowly. Accepting that Meredith did not have long left to live was painful for him. The last few years had been bad enough. Ever since she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Meredith had been getting worse and worse until she was hardly ever lucid, and when she was, it was only for a minute or two. Sometimes, she couldn't even remember her own name.

Meredith sighed. "You don't have to be afraid for me. I'm not afraid. I've had a good life. I met you, I had two amazing kids...I'm not afraid to die." She inhaled deeply. "Before I...I just want you to know how much I love you."

Derek nodded again. "I love you too."

Meredith paused for a minute, and then realised something. "Do you...do you think I'll see them again?"

She didn't have to name them. Derek knew exactly who she was talking about. "I think you'll see whoever you want to see."

Meredith smiled properly this time. "That's good. I think I'm ready now. It's time. I love you, Derek."

Derek was openly crying. "And I love you. Always."

With a final sigh, Meredith leaned back against her pillows and closed her eyes. Her breathing evened out, and then stopped. The heart rate monitor blipped a few times before flat lining.

Silt sobbing, Derek pressed a shaky kiss to his wife's forehead.

"Goodbye, my love."

ooo

Meredith Grey stepped into the elevator of Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital and prepared herself for what would be her final ride down. Just as she reached for the button; she was interrupted but the entrance of a brown-haired man, a widely smiling blonde and another man with dark brown hair:

George O'Malley, Izzie Stevens and Alex Karev.

They all smiled at her warmly, and she smiled back, but it did not reach her eyes. Frantically, she searched for the one that she was most desperate to see.

And then finally, just as the doors were about to close, that perfect smile framed by long black hair and dimples. The face of her best friend in the entire world, her soul mate, her 'person':

Cristina Yang,

Now the group was complete, and as the elevator doors closed, Meredith finally felt whole. No words were exchanged between them, for none were needed, as each of them knew exactly what the others were thinking. So it was silently that they made their final journey, and at peace.

It used to be just M.

Now, it was M.A.G.I.C. again.


End file.
